Alice Koskas of The Lounge Spa

Last week I had the opportunity to meet Asian entrepreneur, Alice Koskas. Alice is the founder and owner of The Lounge Spa in Los Angeles, CA. In 2005, Koskas opened the spa with over 20 years of experience in the beauty industry.

I spoke to Alice about her career and being an Asian American businesswoman in the field of beauty:

ASIANCE: I’ve read your bio. Do you think the challenges of being an awkward teenager with acne helped mold you into who you are today?

ALICE: Absolutely, first of all, I am not what you call your typical Asian woman, I didn’t have straight, shiny, black hair and porcelain skin. I ended up with curly hair and kids used to taunt me and call me “FRO”. Also, spending my summers as a teenager at the beach with baby oil, I have freckles all over my face. I spent so much money on dermatologists, fading creams, facial treatments trying to have that porcelain skin. I started educating myself on ingredients and products, hoping for a cure.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, we are judged by our looks. Having acne growing up made me very insecure. We all read those beauty magazines, it wasn’t until I went to cosmetology school that the instructor said,” if you want to get into the skin care business you need to go get a facial”. At 18, I met this wonderful esthetician who opened up her own salon, this is when she helped me clear my skin and inspired me to become an esthetician. Since then, I’ve have a passion to help and treat others who suffer from acne and other skin conditions.

ASIANCE: There is always the stereotype that Asians are workaholics. I’ve been told you are one of the hardest working women in town. Do you think this is true and do you think this has contributed to your success in the beauty industry?

ALICE: I agree, Asians are stereotyped as being workaholics, but anyone who has a passion and enjoys what they do will work hard in making a career for themselves. I have a motto that I have lived by all my life. What do I want to do to make me happy? Not, what do I want to do to make me money? Anyone who pursues a career in the beauty industry with an attitude of only making money, will not succeed. I’ve seen it, if the heart is not in it and with an industry that is based on touch, your clients will see/sense it.

ASIANCE: I know you cater to a celebrity clientele living in Los Angeles. But being of Japanese descent, do you also cater to an Asian clientele?

ALICE: Let’s be realistic, there’s not many Asian actors who are working on many television shows or movies right now. I would love to cater to more Asians in the industry. This will help me brush up on my Japanese, which my parents would be proud that the Japanese school for nine years finally paid off.

ASIANCE: I’m sure opening your own beauty oasis was not easy. Did you experience any hurdles or exceptional challenges in creating your business?

ALICE: The spa itself needed mainly cosmetic changes. Wanting to be an interior decorator and watching HGTV all the time, I did all the decorating for the spa, which I’m very proud of. I’ve actually gotten jobs for interior decorating from our clients. The most difficult challenge was the licensing from the city. It took me 4 months to finally open, it was a difficult time, since I couldn’t open my doors to clients, we depleted most of our loan on rent. I was afraid we would close down before we even opened.

ASIANCE: Was there any specific person you looked to as an inspiration in fulfilling your dream of being a beauty mogul?

ALICE: I had the privilege to work for Dr. Murad, dermatologist, pharmacist at the Murad Spa for 5 years. I started as their Lead Esthetician/Massage Therapist at their medical Spa. I become so fascinated with his philosophy and his concept of ingredients, that I moved into their education department. Not only did I have the opportunity to spend time in his dermatology practice, but assist in researching treatments and ingredients that will effect the skin topically and internally. He is truly the nicest CEO that I have ever worked for. I highly respect him not only from his business standpoint, but compassion with helping others. I remember he would get in so much trouble in his dermatology office. He would take so much time with each patient that the waiting room would be backed up and his nurses would get so mad at him. His response was, “I couldn’t leave her in the room while she was depressed”. I exclusively use Murad Professional products in my treatment rooms and in my retail area. So many of our clients have come back on a regular basis with testimonials of how their skin has improved since their facial.

ASIANCE: If women want to learn more about The Lounge Spa and your upcoming events, where can they find more information about you?

ALICE: I finally joined FACEBOOK 3 months ago. Everyone kept telling me you need a FACEBOOK page. We also have on our website a VIP Mailing list. Anyone who registers on a VIP GUEST LIST, will know about our specials in advance before we place it on our website. Clients love it, they also receives Holiday Specials. Our most popular service is our couple’s massage in our candle lit couple’s suite. Valentine’s Day is our most popular holiday. We are booked at least 2 months in advance. It’s insane.

ASIANCE: Where do you see yourself five years from now? And where do you see your company growing?

ALICE: On a white sandy beach in the tropics, drinking Mai Tais. Just kidding. I would love to see The Lounge Spa affiliated in a high end, hip, boutique spa across the nation. There are too many spas with the ZEN, mind, body, spirit concept. It’s over saturated. I wanted to create a cool, hip, atmosphere where you can relax, renew and refresh in a chill, lounge, environment. Where else can you get an Elixir Tonic at the Tonic bar before having a spa service?

ASIANCE: What would you like to tell young entrepreneur women out there who are reading this article?

ALICE: Anyone who is ready to start their own business, create a strong foundation with your management team. You hire those who have experience that you may not have. Even though you may not want to admit it, there are areas that you may have no clue on or very weak in. By hiring those around you with those strengths, you will create a strong team for the rest of your employees. Happy Employees, mean happy clients, it’s a win/win situation. I am very blessed with a supportive family and a fabulous staff who have been with me from the start. I wouldn’t change it for the world!

An actor and women’s safety advocate, Candace Kita is the author of “The Hottie Handbook: A Girl’s category_ide to Safety.” As a safety specialist, Candace has been interviewed by People, Good Morning America, the Jay Leno Show, Inside Edition, the Los Angeles Times, 48 Hours, the LOGO Network and WHO Australia.